Method and apparatus for operating a starter for an internal combustion engine

• US 10,330,070 B2
• Filed: 11/14/2017
• Issued: 06/25/2019
• Est. Priority Date: 11/14/2017
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: GM Global Technology Operations LLC (General Motors Company)
• Original Assignee: GM Global Technology Operations LLC (General Motors Company)
• Inventors: Hao, Lei, Namuduri, Chandra S., Gopalakrishnan, Suresh
• Primary Examiner(s): Gugger, Sean
• Application Number:
  US15/811,740
• Publication Number:
  US 20190145370A1
• Time in Patent Office: 588 Days
• Field of Search: 290 38 R
• CPC Class Codes: F02N 11/04 the motors being associated with current generators
• CPC Class Codes: F02N 11/087 Details of the switching means in starting circuits, e.g. relays or electronic switches
• CPC Class Codes: F02N 2011/0874 characterised by said switch being an electronic switch
• CPC Class Codes: F02N 2200/048 Information about pinion speed, both translational or rotational speed
• CPC Class Codes: F02N 2300/00 Control related aspects of engine starting
• CPC Class Codes: H02P 21/04 specially adapted for very low speeds
• CPC Class Codes: H02P 23/0004 Control strategies in general, e.g. linear type, e.g. P, PI, PID, using robust control
• CPC Class Codes: H02P 6/20 Arrangements for starting H02P6/08 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H02P 6/28 Arrangements for controlling current H02P6/10 takes precedence

Abstract

A starter for an internal combustion engine includes a multi-phase brushless electric motor, a controller and an inverter. A method for controlling the starter includes determining initial current commands for operating the electric motor in response to an activation command. Electrical current supplied to the electric motor and a rotational position of an output member of the electric motor are monitored. The electrical current is monitored directly without an intervening current prediction step. Interim voltage commands are determined based upon the initial current commands and the monitored currents, and final voltage commands are determined by subjecting the interim voltage commands to voltage limits. A rotational position compensation term is determined based upon the rotational position and rotational speed of the electric motor, and operation of the inverter is controlled to control the electric motor based upon the final voltage commands and the rotational position compensation term.

Claims

1. A method for controlling a starter that is disposed on an internal combustion engine, the starter including a multi-phase electric motor, a controller and an inverter, the method comprising:

determining initial current commands for operating the electric motor in response to an activation command, wherein the activation command includes a rotational speed command concurrent with a motor torque command;

determining electrical current transferred from a DC power source to the electric motor and a rotational position of an output member of the electric motor, wherein the electrical current is determined directly without an intervening current prediction step;

determining feedback currents from the electric motor based upon the electrical current transferred to the electric motor and the rotational position;

determining interim voltage commands based upon the initial current commands and the feedback currents;

subjecting the interim voltage commands to voltage limits to determine final voltage commands;

determining a position compensation term based upon the rotational position and a rotational speed of the electric motor; and

controlling, via the controller, operation of the inverter in a pulse width-modulated mode to control the electric motor based upon the final voltage commands and the position compensation term.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the activation command comprises a command to start the internal combustion engine, and wherein the initial current commands for operating the electric motor are determined in response to the rotational speed command and the motor torque command associated with the activation command.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein determining the interim voltage commands based upon the initial current commands and the feedback currents comprises determining, via a decoupled current controller element, the interim voltage commands based upon the initial current commands and the feedback currents.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein determining the interim voltage commands based upon the initial current commands and the feedback currents further comprises employing a proportional/integrator control routine to determine the interim voltage commands, wherein the integrator is subjected to a dynamic integrator clamping element and an anti-windup element from a gain saturation limiter.

5. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

wherein the interim voltage commands include space-vector voltage commands including a d-axis interim voltage command and a q-axis interim voltage command,

wherein the dynamic integrator clamping element includes a d-scale voltage limit and a q-scale voltage limit, and

wherein the d-scale voltage limit is determined based upon the interim d-axis voltage command and a system voltage;

wherein the q-scale voltage limit is determined based upon the interim q-axis voltage command and the system voltage;

wherein the d-axis interim voltage command is dynamically subjected to the d-scale voltage limit; and

wherein the q-axis interim voltage command is dynamically subjected to the q-scale voltage limit.

6. The method of claim 1, further comprising, monitoring, via sensors, electrical current transferred to the electric motor and the rotational position of the output member of the electric motor.

14. The method of claim 1, wherein the position compensation element is determined based upon the rotational speed of the electric motor and a theoretical position delay due to sampling of the rotational position of the electric motor.

7. A method for controlling a starter that is disposed on an internal combustion engine, the starter including a multi-phase brushless electric motor coupled to a rotatable pinion gear, a controller and an inverter, the method comprising:

determining initial current commands for operating the electric motor in response to an activation command, wherein the activation command includes a rotational speed command concurrent with a motor torque command;

monitoring, via current sensors, electrical current transferred from a DC power source to the electric motor, wherein the electrical current is monitored directly without an intervening current prediction step;

monitoring, via a rotational position sensor, a rotational position of the pinion gear;

determining feedback currents from the electric motor based upon the electrical current transferred to the electric motor and the rotational position of the pinion gear;

determining interim voltage commands based upon the initial current commands and the feedback currents, including employing a proportional/integrator control routine to determine the interim voltage commands, wherein the integrator is subjected to a dynamic integrator clamping element and an anti-windup element from a gain saturation limiter;

subjecting the interim voltage commands to voltage limits to determine final voltage commands;

determining a rotational position compensation term based upon the rotational position of the pinion gear and a rotational speed of the electric motor;

determining pulse width-modulated commands for controlling the inverter based upon the final voltage commands and the rotational position compensation term; and

controlling, via the controller, operation of the inverter to control the electric motor based upon the pulse width-modulated commands.

8. The method of claim 7, wherein the activation command comprises a command to start the internal combustion engine, and wherein the initial current commands for operating the electric motor are determined in response to the rotational speed command and the motor torque command associated with the activation command.

9. The method of claim 7, wherein determining the interim voltage commands based upon the initial current commands and the feedback currents comprises determining, via a decoupled current controller element, the interim voltage commands based upon the initial current commands and the feedback currents.

10. The method of claim 7, further comprising:

wherein the interim voltage commands comprise space-vector voltage commands including a d-axis interim voltage command and a q-axis interim voltage command,

wherein the dynamic integrator clamping element includes a d-scale voltage limit and a q-scale voltage limit, and

wherein the d-scale voltage limit is determined based upon the interim d-axis voltage command and a system voltage;

wherein the q-scale voltage limit is determined based upon the interim q-axis voltage command and the system voltage;

wherein the d-axis interim voltage command is dynamically subjected to the d-scale voltage limit; and

wherein the q-axis interim voltage command is dynamically subjected to the q-scale voltage limit.

11. The method of claim 7, further comprising, monitoring, via sensors, electrical current transferred to the electric motor and a rotational position of the pinion gear.

15. The method of claim 7, wherein the position compensation element is determined based upon the rotational speed of the electric motor and a theoretical position delay due to sampling of the rotational position of the electric motor.

12. A starter disposed on an internal combustion engine, comprising:

a multi-phase brushless electric motor coupled to a rotatable pinion gear, a controller, a DC power source, and an inverter, the controller operatively connected to the inverter, the controller including an instruction set, the instruction set executable to;

determine initial current commands to operate the electric motor in response to an activation command, wherein the activation command includes a rotational speed command concurrent with a motor torque command;

monitor electrical current transferred to the electric motor from the DC power source, and a rotational position of the pinion gear;

determine feedback current commands for the electric motor based upon the electrical current transferred to the electric motor and the rotational position of the pinion gear;

determine interim voltage commands based upon the initial current commands and the feedback currents, including employing a proportional/integrator control routine to determine the interim voltage commands, wherein the integrator is subjected to a dynamic integrator clamping element and an anti-windup element from a gain saturation limiter;

subject the interim voltage commands to voltage limits to determine final voltage commands;

determine a rotational position compensation term based upon the rotational position of the pinion gear and a rotational speed of the electric motor; and

control operation of the inverter in a pulse width-modulated mode to control the electric motor based upon the final voltage commands and the rotational position compensation term.

13. The starter of claim 12, further comprising, monitoring, via sensors, electrical current transferred to the electric motor and a rotational position of the pinion gear.

16. The starter of claim 12, wherein the rotational position compensation element is determined based upon the rotational speed of the electric motor and a theoretical position delay due to sampling of the rotational position of the electric motor.